Almont football to host weekend scrimmage

Almont coach James Leusby (center with clip board) shows the play to team members at the 2015 scrimmage at North Branch High.
Photo by Lisa Paine ALMONT – Fans of Almont football eager for the upcoming season to begin will be able to get a quick glimpse of their team in action this Saturday during Almont’s Orange and Black team scrimmage. The scrimmage, which starts around 10 a.m. at Almont High School, will see close to an hour of action between two evenly-matched teams before the team disperses to take photos and have a picnic with their families.

“It’ll be physical in the trenches, but there will also be quick whistles,” said Almont varsity coach James Leusby of the scrimmage, noting that some players will still be protected to prevent injuries before the season begins.

Although many things will be looked at, Leusby noted that he is curious to see how his underclassmen will be able to handle playing at a faster pace.

“We’re going to be evaluating our younger players to see how they can adapt to the game speed,” said Leusby. “We told our kids, it doesn’t matter what grade you’re in, we’re looking for the best players to play varsity football this year.”

Almont finished 7-4 overall last year with a 4-3 Blue Water Area Conference (BWAC) record. The Raiders topped Richmond 28-27 in their pre-district game before falling to Algonac in the next round of play.

“Our goal [this year] is to make the playoffs, but to also win a BWAC championship,” said Leusby. “My goal, as a coach, is to make a deep run in the playoffs.”

Saturday’s scrimmage is just another of the many steps that Almont will take toward achieving that goal. The Raiders will travel to Clawson next Thursday for their final scrimmage of the season, where they will go up against Clawson, Millington, Kearsley and Warren Woods-Tower.

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